Deliberate discussion - Should all citizens take part in the legal system?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can consider the arguments for and against citizens taking part in the legal system.
Key learning points
- Citizen involvement in law can boost fairness, relatability and democracy.
- Juries and magistrates can bring real-life views to legal decisions.
- Special constables can help build trust within their communities, reducing crime and keeping people safe.
- Legal complexity might sometimes confuse juries and untrained magistrates.
- Citizens can push for law reform but may face hurdles, like with the proposed legalisation of cannabis.
Keywords
Rationale - the reason or explanation for why something is done or believed
Analyse - the process of examining something in detail, breaking it down into its parts to understand it better
Volunteer - choosing to give time to help others, usually without being paid
Justice - fairness as a result of the application of a law, usually by a judge, in society
Common misconception
Ordinary citizens don't really have any power or impact in the legal system.
Citizens can play key roles, like serving as jurors, becoming magistrates or special constables, and even push for legal reforms, as shown by trade unions helping pass the Minimum Wage Act.
Teacher tip
Create a table of pros and cons of citizen involvement to help visual learners structure their understanding.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the success factors for when citizens have successfully changed the law with their correct descriptions.
many people backing the change
journalists and news outlets sharing the message positively
MPs and parties willing to act on the issue
clear and achievable outcome
data, experts or real-life stories used in the campaign
Q2.Which of the following was a key reason the campaign to raise the minimum age of marriage to 18 in the UK was successful?
Q3.What role does perseverance play in a successful law change campaign?
Q4.Which class B drug, that has been legalised either recreationally or for medical use in other countries, do some campaigners wish to see legalised in the UK?
Q5.Which answer best describes this statement: Citizens can play a part in the legal system.
Q6.Order the words to complete the definition for the word 'influence'. The power to affect or ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a potential disadvantage of involving juries in legal cases?
Q2.Why might special constables face challenges in serious situations?
Q3.What is one advantage of having magistrates in the legal system?
Q4.Which is not a ground rule in a deliberate discussion?
Q5.What should pupils be able to choose their level of during a deliberate discussion?
Q6.Put the stages of crafting a response in a deliberate discussion into the correct order.
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Deliberate discussion - Should all citizens take part in the legal system?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Deliberate discussion - Should all citizens take part in the legal system?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the How can we play a part in the legal system? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.